Hay or cotton press.



' No. 730,642. PATENTED muse, 1903.

R. HAMILTON.

HAY 0R COTTON PRESS1 APPLICATION FILED JULY 8, 1902.

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HAY 0R COTTON PRESS.

APPLICATION mum JULY 8. 1902.

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W/TNESSES: INVENTOR PA'TENTED JUNE 9, 1903.

R. HAMILTON. HAY 0R COTTON PRESS.

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Patented June 9, 1903?;

PATENT OFFIC ROBERT HAMILTON, OF COMMERCE, TEXAS.-

HAY OR COTTON PRESS.

srEcIi IoA'fioN forming part of Letters Patent No. 730,642, dated June9,- 1903. Application filed July 8, 1902. Serial No. 114,761. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT HAMILTON, of Commerce, in the county of Huntand State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHay or Cotton Presses, of which the following is a specification.

v Myinvention relates to hay or cotton presses in general, but moreparticularly to a peculiar press of such character.

The invention consists, broadly stated, in a press mounted on wheels,adapting it to be hauled along a windrow in position to receivehay'picked up with a fork by a man walking on the windrow side of thepress.

The invention consists, further, in peculiar operating means located onthe other or opposite side of the press in position adapted to be workedby the driver.

The invention consists, further, in special details of construction andarrangement of parts, all as hereinafter fully described, with the novelfeatures pointed out in the claims.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will nowproceed to describe it in detail, reference being had to theaccompanyingdrawings, and the letters of reference thereon, which form a part ofthis specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view showingthe front and drivers side of the press. Fig. 2

is a view showing in elevation the windrow side of the press. Fig. 3 isa horizontal sectional view looking in direction of arrow and taken online 00 a; of Fig. 2. Fig. at is a detail view showing the follower andthe lower pulley-block, the latter having its front plate detached, theview also illustrating my special means for connecting and securing thesaid block to the follower; and Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional viewshowing one lever for operating the Windlass and the locking-pawl, thesection being taken on line y y of Fig. 1 through the Windlass-shaft anda part of the press-box.

In carrying out my invention I employ a press-box A, constructed in partsimilar to the press-box in Patent No. 686,607, granted to me November12, 1901. In said patent the press-box rests upon horizontal basemembers or runners, which in my-improved construction form side framesB, supported by casterwheels (3 in front and suitable axle with wheels Dat the rear, whereby the press is adapted to be drawn by horse or otherpower for the purpose as will appear farther on.

\Vithin the press-box A, I arrange a follower E, having side arms F,adapted to project through vertical slots or guideways G in the forwardand rear sides of the press-box, (see Figs. 1, 2, and 3,) in positionfor supporting exterior pulley-blocks H, described in detail farther on.The upper end of the press-box is closed by a hinged cover I. (Shownclosed in Fig. 1 and dotted to part-way-open position in Fig. 2.) Thecover I has hinged connection with the rear upper side of the pressboxand is adapted to be secured in closed position by a lever-lockingdevice J, having pivotal movement 011 the upper forward side of thepress-box. The lever J at its pivotal connection is formed with ashoulder J, which when the lever is in locking position (see Fig. 1)engages the upper side of a projection I from the cover I. The saidprojection is designed to enter a recess I (see Fig. 1) in the upperinner edge of the front of the press-box. The cover I may have anysuitable stop, such as the projecting pin shown, to limit the throw ofthe lever J. It is apparent that when the said lever is moved to thedotted position (see Fig. 2) the shoulder J 'Will be turned out ofengagement with the projection I, and

thereby release the cover I, allowing it to be forced to open positionon its hinge in the baling process, which latter will be describedfarther on.

One side of the press-box at suitable position above its lower end isprovided with a feed-opening K, (see Figs. 2 and 3,) having a flaringdetachable mouth L. WVhile any desired means may be employed forconnecting the said mouth L and securing it, as illustrating one means Iprovide the side members of the said mouth with projections L, adaptedto enter keepers L the latter fixed to the pressboX, (see Figs. 1 and2,) and I arrange over the mouth on the press-box turn-buttons L ofconstruction adapted when turned in position bearing on the upper sidesof the mouth to prevent vertical movement of the whole mouth structureand thus secure it in place.

A indicates a slide passing through a suitable slot in one side wall ofthe press-box and across the feed-opening into a suitable recess at thefar side of the feed-opening.

On the opposite side of the press-box from the mouth L, I arrangeoperating mechanism for working the follower E consisting of a shaft M,supported in bearings h llfflfixed to the side walls of the press-box.,N N indicate levers having pivotal movement on the said shaft M. Eachlever is provided with a spring-acting dog 0, operating for engagementwith suitable teeth of ratchet-wheels P P, fixed on the shaft M. Theupper end of each dog 0 above its support on the lever N is turned tohorizontal position, forming arms 0, adapted for engagement with catchesO projecting from the side walls of the pressbox, (see Fig. 1,) andthereby serving to hold the levers in vertical position. Above the shaftM, I provide a pawl 0 having sliding support on a fixed bar or rod 0 Thesaid pawl obviously may be adjusted for en gagement with either of theratchet-wheels P, Fig. 5 showing it in looking position. I

Q indicates winding drums fixed to the shaft M. From the said drums Qpass ropes R or other suitable means extending to and through fixed andmovable pulley-blocks,;described as follows: I have hereinbeforereferred to the pulley-block H, the same being supported on arms F,projecting from the follower E and moving therewith. It consequentlyconstitutes the movable pulley-block. The fixed or upper pulley-block IIis suitably secured to the press-box at or near the upper end and isprovided with two rollers, one above the other. (See Figs. 1 and 2.) Thelower or movable pulley-block I-I has one roller H (see Fig. 4,) and therollers in the upper or fixed block are of similar form. Both blocks Hand H consist of side members I-I H between which the rollers H aresupported. As means for connecting the pulleyblocks H, I slot theirinner side members or plates adapted to receive the end of the arms F,and with the latter entering the said slot, (see Fig. 4,) the blocks maybe secured by a pin H passing through the arm F between the said membersor plates H In Fig. at of my drawings the outer side member or plate 11is detached to not only show the features just described, but also thatthe pin or knob S may be seen, to which one end of the rope R issecured. The arrangement of the ropes R is clearly shown in Fig. 1 ofthe drawings as extending from the drums Q to and over the upper rollerin the upper or fixed block, thence down under the roller in the movableblock, (see Fig. 4,) thence up and over the lower roller in the fixedblock, and then down to and secured to the knob S, as above described.

In connection with the windlass mechanism I employ a pivoted brake-armT, adapted for engagement with either the shaft M or one of the drums Q,as may be desired. Its use is simply to check too-rapid unwinding of thedrums in returning the follower to the lower end of the press-box. Theworking of presses of this character being well understood it becomesnecessary to here refer only to the particular advantages existing in myinvention.

I have heretofore stated that my press is designed to be hauled alongthe windrow in a field. It is apparent that as the press is hauled alongone man can pick up the hay and feed it through the flaring mouth L intothe press. Obviously the slide A must be Withdrawn in feeding the pressand shoved in when compressing to position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.Another man walking along on the opposite side of the press can operatethe windlass mechanism and at the same time drive the horse along thewindrow. When sufficient hay has been fed into the press, the levers Nare detached from the catches O and one or both worked with effect towind the ropes R on the drums Q, and thereby drawing up the follower andcompressing the hay between it and the closed upper end of the pressboxinto a compact bale. Tying or binding of the bale being well understood,further reference thereto is here deemed unnecessary; but while sodoing, in order to hold the hay compressed, the dog 0 is slid along intoengagement with one of the ratchet-wheels P. Now when the first bale hasbeen formed and tied the dog 0 is disengaged, when the expansive forcestoredin the bale now formed will loosen and start the followerdownward. Thereafter its weight will carryrit down with force sufficientto unwind the ropes R from the drums Q. Downward movement of thefollower and too-rapid unwinding of the ropes can be checked by thebrake-lever T, as hereinbefore described. The follower being now at itslowermost position, hay may'again be fed into the press-box as the pressis driven along the windrow. The second bale is compressed against thebale still within the pressbox and tied as usual. In order to hold thesecond bale under pressure while it is being tied, the windlass islocked against unwinding action with the pawl 0 as before described. Nowboth bales being under pressure it is apparent that when the lever J isthrown to the dotted position (shown in Fig.

2) its shoulder J will 'be turned out of engagement with the projectionIon the free end of the cover I. The two bales being under pressure, asbefore stated, obviously the cover I will be forced open on its hingeand the first or upper bale pushed out of the pressbox, falling on theground. The pushing power necessary to perform the ejecting operation,as just described, is stored up in the second baleformed and thecompressing mechanism.

WVith a press such as I have invented the h the windrow, and therebysaving time and expense necessary in hauling and stacking the hay.

My invention is designed to be constructed light enough and adapted tobe hauled by one horse and at the same time providing a press of specialutility and advantage to the small farmer. While I have referred only tobaling hay, it is apparent that seed-cotton in the field may also bebaled in the same way.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim as new, and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with avertical press-box, a hinged closure at itsupper end, means for locking the said hinged closure, a follower withinthe press-box having vertical movement, front and rear projections onthe follower, a frame at the lower end of the pressbox supported bywheels, pulley-blocks fixed to the front and rear sides of thepress-box, lower pulley-blocks fixed to the front and rear projectionsof the said follower, a Windlass fixed to one side wall of thepress-box, ropes in operative connection with the said pulleyblocks andthe said Windlass, and a feed-opening in the press-box on the far sidethereof from the said Windlass substantially as described.

2. In combination with a vertical press-box, a hinged closure at itsupper end, means for lockin g the said hinged closure, pulley-blocksfixed to the front and rear side walls of the said press-box, avertically-moving follower, front and rear projections on the follower,lower pulley-blocks fixed to the front and rear projections of the saidfollower, a Windlass fixed to one side wall of the press-box, afeedopening on the far side thereof, having a flaring detachable mouth,a slide for closing the said feed-opening, levers having pivotal supporton the Windlass-shaft and provided with spring-actin g dogs,ratchet-wheels on the Windlass-shaft adapted to be engaged by the saidspring-acting dogs, a pivoted dog arranged to be adjusted and therebyadapted for engagement with either ratchet-wheel'on the Windlass-shaft,and ropes extending from the said Windlass in operative engagement withthe fixed pulley-blocks and the said lower pulley-blocks'fixed to thefollower, substantially as described.

3. In combination with a press-box, of the character described havingfront and rear supporting-wheels, a vertically-moving follower, frontand rear pulley-blocks fixed to the press-box, front and rearlowerpulleyblocks fixed to the said follower, a horizontal shaftsupported on one side wall of the pressbox and having winding-drums atits ends, ropes extending from the said winding-drums to and inoperative engagement with the said pulley blocks, levers pivoted on thesaid shaft and having spring-acting dogs, ratchet= wheels fixed on thesaid shaft adapted for engagement with the said dogs, horizontally-dieposed upper ends to the said dogs, projections from the side of thepress-box adapted to hold the said spring-dogs out of engagement withthe ratchet-wheels, means adapted for holding the said shaft and thedrums at its ends against unwinding action, a feedopening in thepress-box located at the far side thereof from the Windlass mechanismand provided with a detachable mouth, aslide adapted to close the saidfeed-opening, and a hinged closure at the upper end of the pressboxhaving means adapted to look it closed substantially as described.

' ROBERT HAMILTON.

Witnesses:

N. O. MOMILLAN, BEN D. BEERs.v

